


Timing

by kronette



Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: M/M, Season/Series 02
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-03
Updated: 2012-12-03
Packaged: 2017-11-20 12:40:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,160
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/585523
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kronette/pseuds/kronette
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A friend requested: “I want a story in which Rodney saves the day and Sheppard basically tells him they won't bother to thank him because he's supposed to do that. Angst or humor, I don't care."</p>
            </blockquote>





	Timing

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted 29 June 2005 @ 09:54 pm under my other pseud, Shelley Wright.

Rodney McKay wiped his hand across his forehead, smearing dirt and sweat into his skin. He just needed a few more minutes – time and quiet. “Will someone _please_ shut off that damn alarm!” he yelled from his perch under the ancient console. The high-pitched wail had started over two hours ago, and it had taken but a few minutes to realize it was a warning beacon.

Learning that an overload of some sort was occurring took another half hour. Discovering that the city was off-balance and on its (admittedly slow) way to tilt side-first into the ocean had given the scientists fits, and especially Rodney, who couldn’t figure out why or how this was happening.

Rebalancing the ancient system was tenuous at best, and Rodney was hardly at his best right now. Stuck in the cramped console, arms aching and fingertips bleeding, he was on the last thread of his temper.

“It’ll shut off on its own once you get the damn thing fixed!” John Sheppard snapped.

“Not helping, Colonel,” Rodney snapped back. “Fuck!” he hissed as another exposed wire jabbed into his fingertip. He shook his hand, willing the sting away.

John continued his tirade. “Will you quit messing around and fix this already? The wailing is giving everyone a massive headache.”

“The constant bitching is giving me one,” Rodney muttered none-too-quietly. He scowled at his laptop, not seeing the results he wanted. He narrowed his eyes and wiped the sweat from his forehead again. No, he’d traced the wrong pathway…Rodney shook his head, trying to clear it. Hot, sticky, dizzy and with a migraine was no way to work, but he had no choice. Zelenka, Kavanagh, Simpson and half a dozen other scientists were under other consoles, trying to reroute around the overloaded system. Rodney sensed they almost had it, but until the piercing sound ceased, he wasn’t done.

Some idiot crouched down and blocked his limited light, and Rodney snarled, “Get out of my light, you inane moron. If I can’t see, I can’t fix it.”

The inane moron in question – that would be John – barked, “What is taking so long, McKay? I know you can work faster than this.”

Rodney hissed as another wire breached his skin. “Oh, excuse me for having to translate Ancient _as_ I try to identify the correct path that’s overloading _and_ coordinate repairs with the other scientists. I wasn’t aware I’d be marked down for tardiness.”

“Just make it stop, okay?” Sheppard ordered, his tone harsh.

Carefully avoiding the exposed wires and blocking out John’s remarks, Rodney focused all his attention on the console.

Three agonizing minutes later, the wailing stopped. A collective sigh could be heard among the personnel as Rodney emerged from his cramped position. “Finally,” he muttered as he rubbed at his ears, trying to get them used to the silence.

“About damn time,” John commented harshly.

Now that the immediate crisis was over, Rodney turned to glare at John. “What’s your problem, Colonel?”

Sheppard folded his arms across his chest, narrowing his eyes. “Which of your scientists screwed up the controls?”

If John had a problem with him, Rodney could handle it. He would not tolerate his team being accused of the latest averted disaster. “What makes you think it was one of my team?” he retorted snidely. “You have people all over the city, searching out new areas.”

John stepped closer, using the few inches he had over Rodney to glare down at him. “Because _my_ team knows not to touch things around here, and _yours_ like to poke their noses into everything.”

Rodney felt like a stinging slap had resonated across his cheek, though he knew Sheppard hadn’t so much as flinched. John’s harsh tone wasn’t new, but the slam against the scientists was uncalled for. “That’s not fair, Colonel, and you know it,” he deflected, trying to rein in his errant emotions. “We have to evaluate the systems in order to learn how to fix them when they break down. We’ll never understand Atlantis without studying her.”

Eyes as cold as ice and distant – John looked like another person entirely. “I can’t have this place falling apart around me, McKay. Get your shit together and made sure this doesn’t happen again.”

Furious now, Rodney exploded, “This is the thanks I get for busting my ass to save the city?”

John matched his fury. “It’s your job to keep Atlantis running, McKay. Anything that goes wrong with the day-to-day operations is your responsibility. Your ego doesn’t actually expect you to be _thanked_ for doing your _job_ , does it?” he asked sarcastically.

Rodney swallowed hard, blinking rapidly as he tried to digest what was being thrown at him. “No,” he stuttered, suddenly feeling defeated. Wrapping his ego around himself like the warm security blanket it used to be, he replied coldly, “I don’t need anything, especially from you.” He unplugged his laptop from the console and gathered up his tools.

He turned to head to his quarters when John’s voice stopped him cold.

“Get cleaned up before you go back to the lab. You’ve got blood smeared on your face.”

He squared his shoulders, trying to let the others in the ‘gate room see that John’s words weren’t affecting him, but they were. Deeply. Barely able to keep his head up, Rodney made it back to his room and secured the door. He took care to place the laptop and tools onto the nearest surface, then collapsed back onto his bed, covering his eyes with his grimy forearm.

He blocked all thought from his mind, keeping it blank until he felt the tension leave his shoulders and back. He took several deep breaths, willing his jaw to unclench.

It was uncalled for. It was unprofessional. It was happening more frequently, as Rodney found better uses for his time than traveling through the ‘gate. With the _Daedelus_ around every few months, the Wraith thought twice before attacking. With fewer attacks and not so many worries about finding a ZedPM, Rodney could spend the time to do what he came to the Pegasus galaxy to do – learn. Study. Grow as a species. Hell, gather enough theories and papers to be published into the next century. Not be chased by life-sucking aliens or pissed-off aliens…or aliens of any kind, actually.

He ignored the knock on his door. He ignored the second knock, and the third. But when he heard a welcome voice call his name through the door, he was on his feet and unlocking the door without hesitation.

Carson Beckett’s concerned expression nearly undid him. He stood still and allowed Carson’s arms to circle him, his warmth to penetrate the coldness that John’s words had instilled. He tucked himself into Carson immediately, fighting back tears.

“Why won’t he let it go?” Rodney muttered. “It’s been over a month.”

“You’re a hard one to get over,” Carson murmured against his hair, rubbing circles on his back.

Five weeks and two days ago, Rodney had chosen to break it off with John. At the time, he’d thought it was a mutual decision. It was too compromising to have them both on the same team, so Rodney had volunteered to remain behind, working in the labs. John had agreed – then the taunting had started. Not the friendly banter they used to have, but scathing remarks that remained with him, even after John had left the room. John’s temper had gotten shorter, as had Rodney’s, until their sniping had taken on ugly proportions. They could barely be in the same room together without their voices rising and anger flaring out of control.

He sighed, not sure where they’d gone wrong. At least with Carson, things had turned out better. He squeezed the back of Carson’s neck lightly. “ _We_ were friends first, Carson. First, last and always.” He sighed again, musing darkly, “I never should have gotten involved in a relationship based purely on lust.”

“Oh, thank you very much,” Carson teased lightly.

Rodney tilted his head up to press his lips to Carson’s. “You know I didn’t mean it that way,” he admonished.

Carson’s arms tightened around him, and he gave a heart-melting half-smile. “I know, lad.” Rodney pulled back and wiped his face, undoubtedly smearing more dirt around. “I feel like shit,” he commented as he headed for the bathroom.

“Look like it, too,” Carson remarked as he followed Rodney to the bathroom.

Huffing, Rodney turned on the water and scrubbed at his face and hands until he felt human again. He dried himself off, then turned to Carson. “You’d think you could be a little supportive, here. I’m being attacked for no reason.”

“Don’t you think maybe John just hasn’t gotten over you as easily as you’ve gotten over him?”

It was the same question Carson had been asking for two weeks, but Rodney still didn’t have a good answer for it. “Maybe,” he mused as he sat on his bed, shoulders slumped in defeat. He stared up at Carson, tilting his head as his thoughts raced. “I missed you, but I didn’t feel this overwhelming need to punish you or degrade you in front of others.”

Carson avoided his gaze, and his voice was quiet as he answered, “It hurts the same, no matter how you voice it.”

Something clicked. Rodney’s eyes widened as he took in Carson’s stance, noting the tilted-down head, the downcast eyes, the hands tucked into Carson’s lab coat. The part of him that had gotten restless with John suddenly sprang back to life, causing his heart to leap into his throat. No wonder things hadn’t worked out with John – he still had feelings for Carson! And from the looks of things, Carson hadn’t quite gotten over him, either. For a genius, he could be incredibly stupid at times.

Standing abruptly and cupping Carson’s chin before the other man could say a word, Rodney captured his mouth in a kiss. Carson’s startled protest melted quickly to enthusiasm, hands and fingers joining in the dance their mouths were performing.

When he started to feel Carson pull away, Rodney let up on him, allowing them both to catch their breaths, foreheads touching.

“Not that I didn’t enjoy that,” Carson said quietly, “But what was it?”

“Two years of stupidity catching up to me,” Rodney answered, digging his fingers into Carson’s waist and pulling him closer. “Why didn’t you ever say anything? How could you let me go on being a blind idiot?”

“You need two people to have a relationship,” Carson said quietly. “I wanted to give you time to come to it on your own.”

He swallowed down the last of his doubts and fears and announced, “I’m ready, Carson.”

Disbelief shadowed the blue eyes. “Just like that, you’re ready to start again?”

“We’re there for each other. We know each other’s secrets. We can talk about anything or nothing, and still be comfortable around each other. We’ve already dealt with the annoying habits thing –“

“You might have, but I still cannot stand that snoring thing—" Carson interrupted.

Rodney interrupted his interruption. “ _AND_ , we’ve pretty much had a relationship for the past two years without the sex part. I miss the sex part,” he admitted sheepishly, kissing Carson’s cheek lightly. “I thought it was damn good.” He pressed another kiss to Carson’s neck.

“Aye, that it was,” Carson agreed, mouth and tongue exploring Rodney’s neck.

“Do you think we could…?” Rodney trailed off, nudging Carson with his hips as his tongue flicked at an earlobe.

Carson pulled his head back abruptly. “Do you think I’m some tart you can just have your way with? Dinner. At least four meals before serious necking. Maybe a picnic on the mainland. Sitting on the beach, watching the sun set.”

Rodney groaned, resting his head on Carson’s shoulder. “Fine, _FINE_! You’ll get your damn dinners and sunset and picnic. Then can we have sex?”

“Maybe,” Carson sing-songed.

“Maybe? Maybe! Carson Beckett, you’re a horrible tease. I should walk away now, while I have the chance.” He wasn’t serious, and he could tell Carson knew it. The more he thought about it, the more it made perfect sense.

“You can’t leave me for long, Rodney,” Carson murmured against his ear, blowing gently against it.

He moaned softly. “Yes, right, whatever. Just don’t stop what you’re doing,” he sighed and pulled Carson closer.

“Yes, Rodney. Whatever you say, Rodney,” Carson muttered against his skin. “Come to bed, Rodney.”  
His eyes flew open, and it was his turn to pull away. “I thought you wanted dinner and picnics and sunsets?”

Carson’s face lit up in an evil, delicious expression that sent lovely, thrilled signals to Rodney’s cock.

“Oh, aye. They’ll be plenty of those in the weeks to come. Right now, though, I’m thinking we have a wee bit of catching up to do.”

Rodney couldn’t find a single flaw with that logic, and happily surrendered to Carson’s ministrations.

The End


End file.
